hiatus

noun

hi·​a·​tus hī-ˈā-təs 

1

a

: a break in or as if in a material object : gap

the weedy hiatus between the town and the railroad

—Willa Cather

the hiatus between the theory and the practice of the party

—J. G. Colton

b

biology : a gap or passage in an anatomical part or organ

2

a

: an interruption in time or continuity : break

especially : a period when something (such as a program or activity) is suspended or interrupted

after a 5-year hiatus from writing

a summer hiatus

b

: the occurrence of two vowel sounds without pause or intervening consonantal sound

Did you know?

This brief hiatus in your day is brought to you by, well, hiatus. While the word now most often refers to a temporary pause, hiatus originally referred to a physical opening in something, such as the mouth of a cave, or, as the 18th century British novelist Laurence Sterne would have it, a sartorial gap: in the wildly experimental novel Tristram Shandy, Sterne wrote of “the hiatus in Phutatorius’s breeches.” Hiatus comes from the Latin verb hiare, meaning “to open wide,” which makes it a distant relation of both yawn and chasm. And that’s all we have for now—you may resume your regular activities.

Synonyms

• breach
• break
• discontinuity
• gap
• gulf
• hole
• interstice
• interval
• opening
• rent
• rift
• separation
• void

Examples of hiatus in a Sentence

The band is making an album again after a five-year hiatus.

steam was rising from an hiatus in the ground

Recent Examples on the Web

After a five-year hiatus, the Breakers returned as an inaugural member of Women’s Professional Soccer in 2008. —Joe Eachus, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Sep. 2023

By 2002, the band went on hiatus, and Timberlake began a successful solo career, with Chasez, Fatone, Kirkpatrick, and Bass exploring other avenues in film, music and television. —Ilana Kaplan, Peoplemag, 13 Sep. 2023

The Drew Barrymore Show is coming back from hiatus without its WGA writers. —Vulture, 11 Sep. 2023

Last year, Tommy Hilfiger returned to New York Fashion Week in Brooklyn after a three-year hiatus — and hasn’t taken the foot off the gas since. —Waiss Aramesh, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2023

The Prince and Princess of Wales, who have officially returned to work after taking a brief hiatus during their children’s summer vacation, attended an intimate private service at St. Davids Cathedral in Wales today. —Chelsey Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 8 Sep. 2023

Now, after a four-year hiatus, the lingerie brand came back Wednesday night with a complete overhaul that was part fashion event and part preview of a documentary-style film featuring 20 global creatives. —Anne D'innocenzio, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2023

The film is the second for the actor this year, following a four-year hiatus from the screen. —Rhea Mogul, CNN, 6 Sep. 2023

The release of these flavorful new creations saw the temporary hiatus of the vanilla Frosty, which returned to menus in January 2023. —Sam Burros, Peoplemag, 6 Sep. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Latin, from hiare to yawn — more at yawn

First Known Use

1563, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing hiatus

• go on hiatus
• put on hiatus

• go on hiatus
• put on hiatus

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Kids Definition

hiatus

noun

hi·​a·​tus hī-ˈāt-əs 

plural hiatuses

: a gap in space or time

especially : a break where a part is missing

Medical Definition

hiatus

noun

hi·​a·​tus hī-ˈāt-əs 

: a gap or passage through an anatomical part or organ

especially : an opening through which another part or organ passes (such as the opening in the diaphragm through which the esophagus and vagus nerves pass)